The mission of the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church shall be to lift up the name of Jesus Christ through our public and private worship and praise; to seek and win persons to the kingdom of Heaven and adopt them into the family of God; to empower the members and the community educationally, politically, economically, culturally, and spiritually through faith in the power of the Holy Ghost; and to inspire in all persons a love for Christ, a passion for righteousness, and a consciousness of their duties to God and their fellow human beings. In doing so we will at all times be reminded that God is our Father, Christ is our Redeemer, the Holy Spirit is our Comforter and Humankind is our Family.

This mission shall endeavor us to do the following:

TO BE A PRAYER-EMPOWERED CHURCH:
We value the power of prayer and recognize that we are engaged in spiritual warfare. We shall be committed to prayer and recognize that it is essential to the success of our vision and mission.

TO BE A CHRIST-CENTERED CHURCH:
We value a focus on Jesus. Everything that we do must point to Jesus Christ and glorify Him. We shall accept the challenge of spreading the love of Jesus to each other, our community and the world.

TO BE A HOLY SPIRIT-LED CHURCH:
We value the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in every believer and believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit transform lives and build the body of Christ.

TO BE A MINISTRY-DIRECTED CHURCH:
We value ministries that enhance life for our senior citizens, youth, families and adults. We shall strive to develop and maintain relevant programs and services for our congregation and for the greater Chattanooga community. We strive to make a difference through our initiatives in education, economic development, health, housing, feeding, venture capital, transportation, mentoring and other ministries of outreach. We shall be “FIRST TO SERVE!”

TO BE A CHURCH THAT IS FAITHFUL IN STEWARDSHIP:
We value and honor God by giving our “first fruits.” We see God’s wisdom and standards for giving and are committed to the biblical mandate to “tithe.” We shall tithe our time, talent and treasure.

TO BE A CHURCH OF GROWTH:
We value growth as God leads. We believe growth is an assumption that God makes about us. We value the individual spiritual growth of every member and the growth of the body as a whole. Growth is a result of God’s faithfulness and of our care for others.

TO BE A SOCIALLY RELEVANT AND JUDICIALLY AWARE CHURCH:
We value justice. We desire to have a positive impact on the local and global community so that all can hear the gospel. We recognize our unique location and important connection to the world and we will work for justice and economic equity for all people.

Since 1889 St. Paul A.M.E. Church has stood as a sentinel pointing men and women, boys and girls to the Heavenly way. In the midst of turmoil, war, and strife, St. PaulA.M.E.Church ever holds high the banner of Christ who said, "Upon this rock I build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."

We are greatly indebted to those brave souls who went before us to build St. PaulA.M.E.Church. Space will not allow for much enumeration of the many achievements of our forefathers; therefore, only highlights of our history are given.

The first location of St. PaulA.M.E.Church was at Whiteside and 26th Street. Later, the church moved to Cowart and 26th Street. There are three cornerstones found at St. Paul. One is located in the lower auditorium, and the other two appear on the left corner of the church exterior.

May this church stand in years to come as it has stood these years, a living monument of a Savior who died that all men might live.